Your smartphone is an undeniably handy tool. There are apps to order food for delivery, request a rideshare service or find the quickest route to work. Your smartphone should also be able to help you navigate your healthcare experience and provide a more fulfilling experience.

However, that’s not what’s happening.

A recent survey of U.S. consumers found that 71% report “major frustrations” when dealing with their healthcare system, noting specific challenges on everything from the lack of digital communications options to difficulty scheduling appointments.

Exacerbating this problem is the reality that many Americans don’t always understand healthcare well enough to make informed decisions. A new study revealed that 24% of patients had marginal or inadequate health literacy. Health literacy is “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information needed to make appropriate health decisions,” according to the Health Resources & Services Administration.

Self-insured employers, and the benefits brokers who sell health benefits solutions to them, should pay careful attention to solutions that deliver the goods on alleviating the frustrations that plague their members and providing help to address problems that members don’t understand about their care.

One solution that addresses this problem is the development of a “concierge” approach to helping members manage care, specifically answering questions and guiding members to answers. Concierge care programs, like the one offered by Lucent Health’s care management solution that is powered by Narus Health, give members tools to access a care team who can help them get answers to various healthcare-related needs.

Specifically, concierge care helps members:

• Find a doctor or specialist

• Discuss a health concern

• Schedule an office visit

• Get help with a bill or explanation of benefits (EOB)

• Request a medication refill

• Ask questions about copays and claims

• Request a cost estimate for an upcoming procedure

• Get assistance with various provider issues (e.g. list of network providers, scheduling appointments, providing VOB, nominating provider for network, etc.)

• Find a facility that will accept Lucent Health-contracted insurance benefits

• Navigate pre-certification issues

• Get support when a facility pushes back on accepting coverage

• Coordinate with Lucent Health resources to conduct payment at point of service

• Request a new or replacement ID card

Lucent Health’s mPower app extends concierge services to a platform more and more patients find to be convenient. The mPower app grants members access to resources, such as medical documents, clinician and pharmacy contact information, medication lists and text messaging access to the care team.

Care coordination solutions like concierge care should be integrated into any health benefits plan, as they help members become better consumers of healthcare services and assist them in making decisions that are in their best interest.

For more information about how concierge care can be integrated into a benefits plan that helps employers save money, reach out to us.